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Friday (Rebecca Black song)

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"Friday"
Song

"Friday" is a song written by Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson, and performed by Rebecca Black, a 13-year-old American singer. It was released as a single on March 14, 2011.[2] "Friday" was produced by the Ark Music Factory, a company owned by Jey and Wilson.[3]

The music video for the song became a viral hit due to criticism of the song's lyrics, the use of Auto-Tune on Black's vocals, and the content of the video. On March 11, 2011, the video's view count on YouTube was still about 4,000. As of April 10, 2011, it had over 95 million views, over 1.9 million comments, and over 1.9 million "dislikes" from YouTube users.[4] Since the growth in popularity of the song and video, there have been numerous parody videos and remixes.[5][6] Forbes stated that the notoriety of the song is another sign of the power of social media – specifically Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr, in this instance – in the ability to create "overnight sensations".[7][8] Despite the scathing reviews, pop music celebrities Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, and Simon Cowell have supported Black. It has been noted that as of April 10, 2011, the video was receiving an average rate of five hundred comments a minute, approximately two million dislikes, and around two million comments (mostly criticisms) which are all world records for a Youtube video.

Background

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In late 2010, a client of Los Angeles record label Ark Music Factory told thirteen year-old classmate Black, who is from Anaheim Hills, California, about the company.[9][10] Black's mother, Georgina Kelly, paid Ark Music $4,000 for a song and accompanying video that included a choice of two pre-written songs. According to Kelly, the payment covered one half or less of the production costs of the music video, and Black's family could have paid nothing in exchange for giving up all rights to the song.[9][11] Black chose "Friday", as "the other song was about adult love – I haven't experienced that yet. I felt like it was my personality in that song."[12] Ark Music extensively used the pitch-correcting software Auto-Tune.[13] Although Kelly had some doubts over the quality of the lyrics, Black assured her that "I sang it as they wrote it, Mom."[10] "Friday" co-writer Patrice Wilson explained that "I wrote the lyrics on a Thursday night going into a Friday. I was writing different songs all night and was like, 'Wow, I've been up a long time and it's Friday.' And I was like, wow, it is Friday!"[14][15]

Music video

The concept for the music video is based on the lyrics and presented as a typical Friday for Black.[16] She wakes up and goes to school, meeting her friends on the way. In the evening, after debating whether to sit in the front or back of a convertible, Black and her friends (Benni Cinkle[17] and another girl) ride the car to a party.[18] Wilson appears near the end of the song to deliver a short rap.[19]

The video was shot in January 2011 at Black's father's house with friends and family as extras, and requiring multiple takes over 12 hours. Ark Music, according to Black's parents, cautioned them and her that they should not expect her to become famous. Black hoped that her friends and family would enjoy watching the video on YouTube and that it would perhaps help her to later begin a singing career. The video was posted on February 10, 2011 and received 4,000 views, enough to please Black,[9] before comedian Michael J. Nelson's Twitter account and a Tosh.0 blog post, "Songwriting Isn’t for Everyone", drew attention to it on March 11, 2011, turning the video into a viral hit.[20]

Composition

"Friday" (2011)
A 22-second sample of "Friday" featuring the chorus where Black sings "Friday, friday, gettin' down on Friday".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Friday" uses the 50s progression, an I-vi-IV-V chord progression that hundreds of popular songs have used such as "Heart and Soul" and "Unchained Melody". According to Randy Lewis of Los Angeles Times, the familiar structure contributes to the song's catchiness, making it an "earworm".[21] In a review for Rolling Stone, writer Matthew Perpetua described the vocals as having "a peculiar tonality that inadvertently highlights the absurdity of boilerplate pop lyrics," adding that the tone in the refrain "sounds unlike anything else in pop music." He noted the sound as being not entirely agreeable to listen to, but states that Black ultimately ends up "sounding like a distinct singer with an alluring sort of anti-charisma."[8] The lyrics of the song speak about "hanging out with friends and having fun."[22] Paul Asay of Plugged In noted that lyrics reflect the happenings of a day like eating breakfast and going to school.[23] "She's excited 'cause it's Friday. Which means a weekend full of possibility awaits," he concluded.[23]

Reception

Criticism

People didn't like the song, didn't like the music video, they thought it was really cheesy. But that was the whole point, to create something that was really simple but something that sticks in people's head. To have people say 'I hate this song, but I'm still singing it.'

—Wilson on "Friday"[14]

The song has received almost universally negative reviews, with some considering it to be the "worst song ever."[24] On March 29, 2011, it surpassed Justin Bieber's "Baby" as the most disliked YouTube video, with 1.19 million negative votes.[25][26] The co-writer and producer of "Friday", Clarence Jey said about the song that "the concept we feel seems to have crossed a lot of boundaries, for the better or worse."[10] Observers have called it "bizarre," "inept," and "hilariously dreadful."[27][28][29] The song and singer were "savaged" on social networks across the Internet,[30] while being seen as a "YouTube laughing stock."[6]

Kevin Rutherford, a columnist for Billboard magazine, wrote, "Black's video for 'Friday' is one of those rare occurrences where even the most seasoned critics of Internet culture don't know where to begin. From the singing straight out of Auto-Tuned hell to lyrics such as 'Tomorrow is Saturday / And Sunday comes afterwards / I don't want this weekend to end' and a hilariously bad rap about passing school buses, 'Friday' is something that simply must be seen and heard to be fully appreciated."[31] Many other reviewers also singled out the lyrics in particular for criticism,[32][33] which were described as "overly simple and repetitive" by TNT Magazine.[34] Jim Edwards of BNET and Doug Gross of CNN both noted that the rap break from the considerably older rapper was "creepy."[35][36] Time ranked it number two on a list of "Top 10 Songs with Silly Lyrics."[37][38]

Support

Despite the overwhelmingly negative reviews, some reviewers had positive things to say about the song and video. Entertainment Weekly writer Joseph Lynch noted that there was "something sickeningly catchy about this tune that keeps you coming back for more."[28] Rolling Stone's Perpetua stated, "When you see this video, you immediately notice everything that it does 'wrong', but it actually gets a lot of things about pop music right, if just by accident."[8] OK! Magazine also noted that "some are calling the 13-year-old signed singer the next Justin Bieber."[39] After watching the video, singer Chris Brown said: "Honest opinion? It was great. I'll be jammin' to it on Friday, Friday."[40][41] Fellow teenage singer Miley Cyrus denied that she had criticized Black, saying "I am a fan" and that she sang "Friday" while driving.[42]

Simon Cowell praised Black and said, "I love her [and] the fact that she's gotten so much publicity. People are so upset about the song, but I think it's hysterical. [...] Anyone who can create this much controversy within a week, I want to meet. I love people like that."[43] He observed that "any song to do with the weekend annoys you. It reminds me of 'Saturday Night'... It's what we call a 'hair-dryer song,' a song girls sing into their hair dryers as they're getting ready to go out. But the fact that it's making people so angry is brilliant."[44] Cowell advised Black not to "listen to anyone over the age of 18. I'm being deadly serious. Whatever she's done has worked. Whether you like her or not, she's the most talked-about artist in America right now. Nobody over the age of 18 should understand her or like her. So she should just do it her way."[45]

Response

After reading the harsh reviews of "Friday", Black said that "those hurtful comments really shocked me." Ark Music offered to take the video down from YouTube, but Black refused the offer, saying that she did not wish "to give the haters the satisfaction that they got me so bad I gave up."[46] Black's father has accompanied her in public to guard against potential accosters.[11]

In response to criticism over the song's significant use of Auto-Tune, Black performed an acoustic version during an interview with ABC News.[47] Later in the interview Black's mother, Kelly, stated that she was "angry and upset" after Black was brought to tears by comments, such as "I hope you go cut [yourself] and die" and "'I hope you cut yourself, and I hope you'll get an eating disorder so you'll look pretty."[48][49] Black said, however, that she soon was able to ignore such comments,[50] and asked Justin Bieber, her idol, to perform a duet with her.[51] Although Bieber has not released an official announcement regarding the offer, he posted on Twitter "sunday comes after saturday? weird."[52] Bieber did cover the song at one of his concerts, which pleased Black.[11]

Rolling Stone's Perpetua again praised Black after the interview and said, "She is actually a pretty decent singer. [...] She is a total sweetheart. [...] Black comes off as a well-adjusted, happy and grateful kid."[53] He also pointed out Black's intention to donate part of the profits from the song to school arts programs and relief efforts in Japan following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[53]

Commercial performance

By March 21, 2011, the "Friday" music video had been viewed more than 30 million times on YouTube.[54] Forbes originally estimated that as of that date, Black and Ark Music had received "easily" more than $1 million from iTunes Store sales, and $20,000 more from YouTube's revenue-sharing program.[55] However, the iTunes Store sales estimate was shown to be incorrect, with Billboard estimating sales of approximately 43,000 copies, roughly equivalent to $26,700 in royalties.[56] "Friday" debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 33 on March 21, 2011.[57] The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 72 and rose to 58 the next week.[58] It has sold 87,000 copies over the two weeks.[58]

"Friday" received its first UK radio airplay on March 15 on Nerve Radio.[59] The song has also received airplay in Sweden.[60] In the United States, it was played 12 times from March 16 to March 22, considered low for a Hot 100 song.[61]

Despite the song's strong performance, Georgina Kelly has claimed that her daughter has not received any money from the song's sales, saying "We haven't received a dime from anywhere."[14]

The ownership of "Friday" is unclear. In a March 29, 2011 letter from Kelly's lawyer to Ark Music, she alleged that Ark Music failed to fulfill the terms of their November 2010 agreement by not giving her the song and video's master recordings; falsely claimed Black as an exclusively signed to the label; and exploited the song without permission by, for example, selling a "Friday" ringtone. While Wilson stated that Kelly "will get the masters and the song. They can have it all" and agreed that Black was not exclusive to Ark, his attorney claimed that Ark owns the copyright for the song and the November agreement is invalid.[62]

Cover version

On April 1, 2011, "Friday" was performed by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Taylor Hicks and The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The New York Knicks City Dancers joined in.[63][64]

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Digital Track Chart[65] 40
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[66] 61
Ireland (IRMA)[67] 46
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[57] 33
UK (The Official Charts Company)[68] 60
UK Indie (The Official Charts Company)[69] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[58] 58

References

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  2. ^ "Friday - Single by Rebecca Black". iTunes Store. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  3. ^ Williams, Mary Elizabeth (2011-03-14). "What's behind the "worst music video ever"?". Salon.com. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  4. ^ "Rebecca Black - Friday (OFFICIAL VIDEO)". YouTube. 2011-02-10. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
  5. ^ Gallo, Lee-Maree (2011-03-15). "Who is Rebecca Black? And is she really bigger than Japan?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  6. ^ a b Parry, Chris. Rebecca Black's Black Friday: Vanity music project makes teen a YouTube laughing stock. Vancouver Sun. 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  7. ^ Pasetsky, Mark. Rebecca Black: Why is She Trending on Twitter?. Forbes. 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  8. ^ a b c Perpetua, Matthew. Why Rebecca Black's Much-Mocked Viral Hit 'Friday' Is Actually Good. Rolling Stone. 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  9. ^ a b c Larsen, Peter (2011-03-17). "O.C.'s Rebecca Black talks about 'Friday'". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
  10. ^ a b c Lee, Chris (2011-03-17). "Rebecca Black: 'I'm Being Cyberbullied'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  11. ^ a b c Larsen, Peter (2011-03-29). "Rebecca Black's mom sets the record straight on Leno lip-sync rumors". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
  12. ^ Levison, Sam (2011-03-18). "Finally "Friday"". Blog Daily Herald. Retrieved 2011-04-06.
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  14. ^ a b c Chen, Adrian (2011-03-30). "Meet the Man responsible for Rebecca Black". Gawker. Gawker Media. Retrieved 2011-03-31. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  15. ^ Barshad, Amor (2011-03-30). "'Friday' mastermind Patrice Wilson explains the lyrics". New York. New York Media Holdings. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
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  24. ^ Parker, Lyndsey (2011-03-14). "Is YouTube Sensation Rebecca Black's "Friday" The Worst Song Ever?". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
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  29. ^ Gibson, Megan (2011-03-14). "Rebecca Black's Bizarrely Bad Video for 'Friday': Is This For Real?". Time. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  30. ^ Lee, Ann. Rebecca Black savaged on Twitter over YouTube hit video Friday. Metro. 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  31. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (2011-03-14). "Rebecca Black's 'Friday' a Viral Sensation for All the Wrong Reasons". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  32. ^ Ribeiro, Ricky (2011-03-16). "Rebecca Black and the Art of Being Bad". b2cmarketinginsider.com. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
  33. ^ "Rebecca Black: So Bad It's a Viral Hit; Rebecca Black's "Friday"". b2cmarketinginsider.com. 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
  34. ^ "Rebecca Black: 'worst song' Friday tops Japan earthquake + VIDEO". TNT. 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
  35. ^ Edwards, Jim (2011-03-16). "Worst Video Ever? How Rebecca Black's "Friday" Explains the Future of Pop Music". Retrieved 2011-03-17.
  36. ^ Gross, Doug (2011-03-16). "Rebecca Black's 'Friday' goes viral for all the wrong reasons". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
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  38. ^ "Top 10 Songs with Silly Lyrics (2. Rebecca Black, 'Friday')". Time. 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-04-02. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  39. ^ Talarico, Brittany (2011-03-16). "Rebecca Black's "Friday": Best YouTube Cover Videos (And No, Bob Dylan Didn't Write It)". okmagazine.com. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
  40. ^ "Watch Chris Brown Watch the Rebecca Black 'Friday' Music Video". New York Media. 2011-03-17. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
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  42. ^ Malec, Brett (2011-04-02). "Miley Cyrus Misquoted: "I Love Rebecca Black!"". E!. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
  43. ^ Shira, Dahvi (2011-03-18). "Rebecca Black's Biggest Fan – Simon Cowell!". People. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
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  45. ^ Adalian, Josef (2011-03-25). "Simon Cowell on The X Factor and the Only Contestant He Knows From This Season's Idol". New York. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
  46. ^ Lee, Ann (2011-03-18). "Rebecca Black lashes out at Friday 'haters' and refuses to quit as singer". Metro. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  47. ^ Rebecca Black Sings 'Friday' Acoustic on YouTube
  48. ^ "'I cried over all the nasty comments': How did an innocent wannabe like Rebecca Black become America's most reviled teenager?". Daily Mail. London. 2011-03-18. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  49. ^ Schwartz, Alison (2011-03-18). "CNN.com". CNN.com. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
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  54. ^ Roberts, Soraya (2011-3-22). "Rebecca Black 'Friday' music video and song could earn her hundreds of thousands of dollars". NYDailyNews. New York. Retrieved 2011-03-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  55. ^ Barth, Chris (2011-03-21). "Mock Rebecca Black All You Want, She's Laughing To The Bank". Forbes. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
  56. ^ Peoples, Glenn (2011-03-22). "Rebecca Black's First-Week Sales: Not Bad, But Not In The Millions ..." Billboard. Nashville: Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  57. ^ a b "Rebecca Black – Friday". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  58. ^ a b c Grein, Paul (2011-03-30). "Week Ending March 27, 2011: Songs: Katy Moves Up". Chart Watch. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  59. ^ "The Road Home with Harry and Liam". Nerve* Radio. Nerve* Media. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
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  62. ^ "Exclusive: Rebecca Black Fighting Ark Music Factory Over 'Friday'". Rolling Stone. 2011-04-01. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  63. ^ Cherette, Matt (2011-04-01). "Watch Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon Perform Rebecca Black's 'Friday' on Late Night". Gawker. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  64. ^ Franich, Darren (2011-04-02). "Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon sing Rebecca Black's 'Friday'". Entertainment Weekly. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  65. ^ "Top 40 Digital Track Chart - Australian Recording Industry Association". ARIA. Retrieved 2011-03-27.[dead link]
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  69. ^ "UK Top 30 Indie Singles Chart". BBC. 2011-03-27. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
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